From July 3 to 5, Pagoda [3] held South African apple-themed pop-up events at its stores in Chongqing and Shanghai. Featuring crisp, sweet South African apples [4], alongside a vibrant South African-inspired summer color palette, the events attracted large crowds of shoppers eager to sample the fruit. The tastings created a lively and festive atmosphere, drawing strong interest from consumers throughout the three-day promotion.

At the same time, over 40 Pagoda stores across 18 cities nationwide simultaneously launched South African apple-themed activations. Exclusive South African-inspired merchandise, including themed dolls, canvas totes and custom-designed apple buckets developed exclusively by Pagoda became sought-after items among consumers for their stylish appearance and practicality. The campaign also delivered impressive commercial results, with many stores recording South African apple sales surpassing 5,000 Chinese yuan ($738). Overall sales increased by 36.9%, while the number of new customers grew by 73.3%, highlighting the strong consumer appeal of the campaign.

Pagoda has been sourcing and selling South African apples since 2015 and maintains close cooperation with Hortgro Pome [5]. The flagship variety, South African Crystal Sugar Apple, is a Fuji variety grown in South Africa’s sun-drenched valley regions with wide day/night temperature differentials. Harvested from mature trees, these apples are renowned for their exceptional sweetness, crisp texture and rich flavor. They are grown without bagging or waxing, making them both eco-friendly and nutritious. Their conveniently compact size also makes them an ideal snack for individuals and children, contributing to their strong popularity among young families.

During the campaign, Pagoda secured prominent placement on the iconic “I’m in Chongqing” digital screen at Guanyin Bridge Pedestrian Street in Chongqing, where South African apple visuals were broadcast on a loop. As a nationally renowned social media hotspot during peak tourist season, Guanyin Bridge sees daily foot and vehicle traffic exceeding 1 million. The prominent display significantly boosted brand awareness for South African apples.

While the offline activations were in full swing, Pagoda also leveraged its online platform to further amplify the brand presence of South African apples. The company hosted a dedicated livestream on its official Douyin channel, attracting over 3,000 concurrent viewers and generating more than 1 million impressions. In addition, Pagoda published short videos and product endorsement content across Xiaohongshu, Weibo and its WeChat Channels account to promote South African apples. Furthermore, Pagoda reached over 3 million users through community groups during the campaign period.

Through its partnership with Hortgro Pome, Pagoda has not only delivered a high-quality, differentiated imported fruit experience to consumers but also played an important role in strengthening the recognition and reputation of South African apples in the Chinese market. Looking ahead, Pagoda will continue to collaborate with premium fruit suppliers worldwide to bring consumers more healthy, delicious and enjoyable fresh fruit lifestyle experiences.

Images: Pagoda